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| Updated: 4:51 pm ET November 10, 2009

Recent News
Recent News items will be posted to this section for 60 days. News items older then 60 days and in current fiscal year are listed under Previous News. To view news item in previous fiscal years go to the Archived News section.
October 30, 2009 -- SWIM Releases Draft of the Final Program Requirements for Segment 2 The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program has released the initial draft of the SWIM Final Program Requirements Segment 2 document. The document defines program requirements for SWIM’s next phase, Segment 2. The document discusses the new Segment 2 program requirements as well as maintenance of legacy Segment 1 requirements, providing clear differentiation of the requirements for each segment. For more information, please access the FPR on the Documents page.
October 28, 2009 -- SWIM Meeting with TechAmerica on September 29, 2009 A bi-monthly forum has been established so that the FAA can discuss SWIM-related questions with the TechAmerica industry forum. TechAmerica and the FAA SWIM program met for the third forum on September 29, 2009. The meeting included topics such as the SWIM Core Architecture Evolution Concepts and a lessons learned discussion on business case development. The meeting minutes are located in the "Segment 2 Documents" section of the Documentation page. For more information on Tech America, please visit: www.techamerica.org
October 22, 2009 -- Segment 2 Technical Overview Released The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Program has released the Segment 2 Technical Overview document. The document outlines Segment 2 SWIM Core Architecture Evolution Concepts including functional and technical architecture. The document discusses options for functional architecture components being considered for deployment by the SWIM Program in Segment 2. The advantages and disadvantages of these components are examined to assist future requirements and cost analysis. Component options are then grouped and presented as three overall Segment 2 architecture options, including the federated approach used for Segment 1. For more information, please access the Segment 2 Technical Overview on the Documents page.
October 22, 2009 -- FAA releases amendments to SWIM System Engineering and Business Support Services requirement FAA has released amendments to the SWIM System Engineering and Business Support Services requirement. This is a Request for Proposals to support the SWIM Program Office. The offeror awarded this contract will provide the Office of ATC Communications (AJW-5) with the systems engineering (SE), program architecture, requirements, implementation, and business support services necessary to assist the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program. View the amendments on the FAA Contracting Opportunities website at: https://faaco.faa.gov/posting.cfm?PostIDtemp=8802.
October 15, 2009 -- SWIM-Compliant CIWS Data Product Descriptions Now Available The Corridor Integrated Weather System (CIWS) Product Description, Revision 1.0, is now available. CIWS allows air traffic managers to use 3D displays to safely manage flight routes during thunderstorms, significantly reducing congestion and delays. The CIWS Product Description serves as a reference with descriptions of CIWS data product files. CIWS products are now available in a SWIM-compliant format, and the CIWS data feed will allow for integration into existing displays. For more information, please view the full product description list. Sample CIWS data is available to prospective users at: http://webstats.wx.ll.mit.edu/data/CIWS_20090717T194500.tar.gz or http://webstats.wx.ll.mit.edu/data/CIWS_20090717T194500.zip
October 15, 2009 --Data Xtend Semantic Integrator (DXSI Tool) Evaluation Released An evaluation of Progress Software's DataXtend Sematic Integrator (DXSI) tool is now available. Mitre conducted an evaluation of the DXSI tool, focusing on the weather domain. This evaluation resulted in detailed findings related to SWIM Core Services. For more information on DXSI's capabilities and the evaluation, please view the briefing on the Documentation page.
September 24, 2009 -- The SWIM Program publishes the SOA Suitability Checklist The SWIM Program published the SOA Suitability Checklist on September 24th. The purpose of this document is to objectively assess programs to determine if leveraging SWIM Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) software, standards, processes, and procedures is an appropriate approach for the solution of their specific need. This document details specific criteria and a scoring mechanism to assess whether programs facing an upcoming JRC meet the criteria for becoming SWIM-compliant. For more information, please contact Jim.Robb@faa.gov. The SOA Suitability Checklist and the Suitability Checklist Job Aid are found on the Documentation page.
September 24, 2009 -- SWIM Program held the first "SWIMposium" on September 22nd The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Program would like to thank all of the attendees of our first "SWIMposium," an informational panel on SWIM. The event was held on September 22nd and included approximately 150 participants. The SWIMposium provided an overview of SWIM and a description of the impact of SWIM on other FAA programs. For more information, please view the final briefing on the Documentation page.
September 22, 2009 -- FAA releases requirement for SWIM System Engineering and Business Support Services The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for System Engineering and Business Support. The FAA requires support that includes systems engineering (SE), program architecture, requirements, implementation, and business support services necessary to assist the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program. It is anticipated that an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity type contract, with level of effort firm fixed-price pricing arrangements, will be awarded covering these services. The resultant contract will include a base period (March 1 - September 30, 2010) and 4 one-year options. These options may or may not be exercised at the sole discretion of the FAA. Complete technical proposals must be received by the FAA by 2 PM Eastern Time on October 20, 2009. View the full announcement on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at https://faaco.faa.gov/posting.cfm?PostIDtemp=8802
September 21, 2009 -- FAA seeking comments on draft XML Gateway Requirements document v2.0 The FAA is seeking industry comment on the update to our XML Gateway Requirements document v2.0. In order to be placed on FAA's Qualified Vendor’s List (QVL), vendors must meet the FAA's XML Gateway requirements (as outlined in this document) and have successfully passed a technical evaluation of their product as defined in the Qualification Information Request (QIR) that will be posted on the FAA Contracting Opportunities page, https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm during November 2009. The draft document and comment form is found on the Documentation Page. Comments are due by COB October 21, 2009. Submit your completed comment forms to Jim.Robb@faa.gov
September 17, 2009 -- Department of Defense (DoD) receives SWIM-compliant ITWS data The Department of Defense (DoD) has become our first agency partner to receive SWIM-compliant data via the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) Prototype Service. On September 17th, the DoD's Global Information Grid (GIG) at Hanscom Air Force Base started receiving digital data for ITWS weather products. The SWIM-compliant ITWS Prototype Service was developed by the ITWS development team at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, MA, using open-source software provided by Progress Software. DoD receives the products by connecting to the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) external gateway at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. The SWIM program office wishes to thank all of the DoD, ITWS, and FTI personnel who supported the delivery of this SWIM-compliant service.
September 16, 2009 -- Enterprise Service Bus Prototype Overview On July 30, 2009 the SWIM Program Office announced the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Protoytpe effort. As part of the planning for SWIM Segment 2, SWIM is establishing an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Prototype at SWIM lab facilities in the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. A Segment 2 prototype overview briefing can be found on the Documentation page. The briefing includes some considerations and ideas for prototyping, but final prototyping decisions will be subject to cost and schedule constraints. More information will be made available as activities progress.
September 15, 2009 -- SWIM publishes the 2nd edition of our newsletter The SWIM program published the 2nd edition of our newsletter, The Current. The articles featured include an overview by the SWIM Program Manager, SWIM governance policies, information on the SWIMposium, accomplishments, and much more. The newsletter is found on the Documentation page.
August 25, 2009 -- SWIM Meeting with TechAmerica on June 23, 2009 A bi-monthly forum has been established so that the FAA can discuss SWIM-related questions with the TechAmerica industry forum. The meeting minutes are in the "Segment 2 Documents" section of the Documentation page. For more information on Tech America, please visit: www.techamerica.org
August 15, 2009 -- SWIM Program announces 1st "SWIMposium" for September 22nd The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Program would like to invite all interested FAA staff to its first "SWIMposium," an informational panel on SWIM. The event will take place on September 22nd from 1 - 2:30pm in FOB 10A 3rd Floor Auditorium. The SWIMposium is designed to provide an overview of SWIM, describe what it means for your program, highlight next steps, and allow an opportunity to answer your questions about SWIM. For more information and a detailed agenda, please view the full description: Presentation.
August 5, 2009 -- Follow-up Market Analysis - Technical Support Services For FAA Technical Operations Directorate (ATO-W) The purpose of this additional market analysis is to obtain the information necessary to determine whether adequate competition exists to set-aside the competition among small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, or 8(a) certified firms. View the full announcement on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=6256.
July 30, 2009 -- SWIM Program Office announces Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Protoytpe effort As part of the planning for SWIM Segment 2, SWIM is establishing an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Prototype at SWIM lab facilities in the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. More information will be made available as activities progress. A prototype overview briefing can be found on the Documentation page.
July 30, 2009 -- The SWIM Program Office announces availability of Progress Software Products for the FAA community Through Progress Software Products, the SWIM Program Office announces the availability of FUSE, including four open source Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) components, for the FAA community. Available components include: FUSE Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), FUSE Message Broker, FUSE Services Framework and FUSE Mediation Router. The four components are combined with development and management tools to create a comprehensive enterprise integration infrastructure and are deployed in many large, mission-critical IT applications. Progress Software Products is a global provider of application infrastructure software used to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications. The SWIM program office is pleased to announce the availability of these new products. For more information, please view the full product description list: Fuse Product List.
July 27, 2009 -- Service Registry/Repository Software Screening Information Request On July 1, 2009, the FAA released a Request for Offer (RFO)/Screening Information Request (SIR) for a requirement for Service Registry/Repository Software to the Contract Opportunities website. The Agency thanks everyone who took the time to respond. Proposals are under review. The RFO/SIR documents are found on on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=8418 page.
July 23, 2009 -- FAA's Joint Resources Council approves SWIM Segment 1 funds for FY2011-FY2015 The FAA's Joint Resources Council (JRC) approved the SWIM Program Office's request for program funding for FY2011-FY2015, to complete the development and deployment of SWIM Segment 1 capabilities. The JRC decision was made on July 15, 2009. The SWIM Briefing to the JRC is found on the Documentation page.
July 17, 2009 -- FAA seeks participants for feedback on the CIWS products The SWIM program is seeking users who will provide feedback on Corridor Integrated Weather Service (CIWS) product distribution methods and the XML-based digital data products being distributed, and who are interested in integrating these products into existing automation systems. The feedback and lessons learned generated from these efforts will be very valuable to future SWIM development. The FAA SWIM Program Office will make the final selection of participants. Your application to participate must be submitted to the SWIM Program Office, via e-mail to 9-ATOW-HQ-SWIM@faa.gov, no later than August 14, 2009 For more information, please view the application and description.
July 17, 2009 -- MITRE SWIM Core Architecture Evolution Concepts (v1.0) released MITRE published the Core Architecture Evolution Concepts Document for the SWIM program on July 17th. The purpose of this document is to develop SWIM Core architecture evolution concepts that will form the basis for the development of SWIM Segment 2 core architecture. This document outlines an analysis of options for components that may be deployed and interconnected by the SWIM Program in Segment 2. The Core Architecture Evolution Concepts document is found on the Documentation page.
July 17, 2009 -- New Products available via the ITWS-SWIM Prototype Service The SWIM Program Office would like to announce the new products available via the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS)-SWIM Prototype Service. On July 22, 2009, users will now have access to the following ITWS weather products: Airport Lightning Warning: Contains airport lightning warning data for specific areas of interest called critical regions Tornado Detections Product: Provides the location, speed, and direction of all tornadoes as extracted from the Next Generation Radar Tornadic Vortex Signature (NEXRAD TVS) product Tornado Alert Product: Contains the alphanumeric text for the tornado alerts Precipitation 5 nm Product: Contains the 5 nm resolution precipitation Precipitation Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Product: Contains the ITWS TRACON area precipitation Precipitation Long Range Product: contains the Long Range Precipitation which is derived from one or more NEXRAD and Terminal Doppler Weather Radars (TDWR) These products will be added to the existing list of available products, including Microburst TRACON Map, Gust Front TRACON Map, Terminal Weather Text, and Configured Alerts. ITWS improves NAS efficiency by displaying the impact of convective weather, storm cells, precipitation, airport winds, microbursts, gust fronts, windshear, lightning, and tornadic activity at selected NAS pacing airports. The ITWS-SWIM Prototype Service will improve on this by providing ITWS products digitally that support the overlay of ITWS products onto user workstations for greater common situational awareness. Engineering these data services using SWIM standards will also reduce integration costs while enabling wider access to weather products. The SWIM program office is pleased to announce the availability of these new products. For more information, please view the full description of these products.
July 1, 2009 -- FAA releases requirement for SWIM Service Registry/Repository Software The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for Service Registry/Repository Software. In addition to the software product, the FAA requires the following services: Product Maintenance Product Documentation Technical Support Training Consulting Support It is anticipated that an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity type contract, with fixed-price pricing arrangements, will be awarded covering these services. The resultant contract will include a one-year base period and 12 one-year options. These options may or may not be exercised at the sole discretion of the FAA. Complete technical proposals must be received by the FAA no later than 12:00 noon EDT, Friday, July 24, 2009. View the full announcement on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=8418.
June 24, 2009 -- SWIM briefs at 2009 NAS Enterprise Architecture Conference The FAA hosted the 2009 National Airspace System (NAS) Enterprise Architecture (EA) Conference in Washington, DC. The conference brought together FAA executives, program managers, architects, planners, and systems engineering personnel, along with international and industry stakeholders, to discuss the importance of the NAS EA to the FAA in securing the capital needed to implement and field capability upgrades to the NAS, including NextGen. Jim Robb, SWIM Requirements and Governence Lead, briefed on NAS Enterprise Level Architecture Products - To Be SV-4: Reference Architecture and SOA Governance. Presentation: SV-4: Reference Architecture and SOA Governance presented June 2009 at the NAS EA Conference.
May 14, 2009 -- SWIM briefs at 2009 ICNS Conference The 2009 Integrated Communications Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference, jointly sponsored by government, civil and military, and industry, addresses research and development of integrated CNS technologies for advanced aeronautical digital information systems and applications supporting the future global air transportation systems. The 2009 conference theme was "The Integrated Trajectory - Getting There." Jeffery Hobbs, SWIM Implementation Lead, co-chaired the session on the Information Sharing Environment (SWIM) and briefed on SWIM Status. Presentation: SWIM Status presented May 2009 at the Integrated Communciations Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference.
May 12-14, 2009 -- AIXM/WXXM Conference The FAA hosted the 4th Annual Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM) Users Conference in Crystal City, Virginia. This year's conference was the first joint AIXM/Weather Information Exchange Model (WXXM) Conference with an intended audience of AIXM/WXXM developers and aeronautical/meteorological information experts. The general topic of the conference was AIXM and WXXM Data Transfer – Graphical Visualization and Common Situational Awareness. Jeffery Hobbs, SWIM Implementation Lead, briefed on web services implemented during System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Segment 1. Presentation: Web Services Implemented During System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Segment 1 presented May 2009 for Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM)/Weather Information Exchange Model (WXXM) Conference.
April 3, 2009 -- SWIM Meeting with TechAmerica on March 4, 2009 A bi-monthly forum has been established so that the FAA can discuss SWIM-related questions with the TechAmerica industry forum. The briefing and meeting minutes are in the "Segment 2 Documents" section of the Documentation page.
March 11, 2009 -- FAA seeking comments on draft Service Registry Requirements document v1.3 The FAA is seeking industry comment on the draft Service Registry Requirements document v1.3. The SWIM Service Registry Requirements document establishes requirements guiding the acquisition of a SWIM Service Registry product to be used by the FAA. The draft document and comment form is found on the Documentation Page. Comments are due by COB March 24, 2009. Submit your completed comment forms to Jeffery.Hobbs@FAA.gov
March 5, 2009 -- Service Registry/Repository software to support SWIM Segment 1 The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for commercially available Service Registry/Repository software to support Segment 1 of the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program. The period of performance is estimated to begin on/or about January 1, 2010, with multiple three-year option periods for continued product support. The contractor shall supply the FAA with Service Registry/Repository software that is commercially available or available in the public domain that meets requirements for the SWIM Segment 1 Service Registry/Repository. This software will offer a central repository to help users discover, use and, whenever possible, reuse Web services. This acquisition is restricted to commercially available software (to include software in the public domain). All companies submitting a bid must be registered and active in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Data Base or must be before award. The Screening Information Request (SIR)/Solicitation will be available by the end of April 2009. Offers will be evaluated in accordance with the SIR. Evaluation Criteria include ability to meet SWIM technical requirements, Past Performance, Financial Capability, and compatibility of products with standards to be identified in the SIR. The Government will make one award to the responsible Offeror whose submittal conforms to the requirements and terms and conditions, and is considered to be the best value to the FAA. This contract opportunity record has been posted on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at: http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=7569.
March 3, 2009 -- Draft SWIM Segment 2 Operation Services and Environment Definition (OSED) v1 released The Operation Services and Environment Definition (OSED) provides the basis for the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Segment 2 architecture and strategic direction. It is being used as an artifact to provide segment specific information about NextGen, the NAS and the SWIM program which will help to define SWIM requirements and technical architecture to support the SWIM Segment 2 Final Investment Decision.
March 3, 2009 -- The FAA is pleased to announce our Qualified Vendors List (QVL) for the XML Gateway Product The vendors on this list have met the FAA's XML Gateway requirements and have successfully passed a technical evaluation of their product's installation and initial configuration, as well as system performance. Their products were deemed capable of providing support to the SWIM Implementing Programs (SIPs). The vendors on this list include Layer 7 Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Vordel, Inc. Interested parties can view entire qualified vendors list. This QVL will be established for a period of six (6) years, from March 1, 2009 through March 31, 2015. Re-establishment of this QVL will be a unilateral decision of the FAA and will be reviewed annually. This QVL shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract and is not intended to guarantee procurement of the XML Gateway. Technical questions regarding this QVL may be directed to Jeffery L. Hobbs, SWIM Implementation Lead, at (202) 267-9772 or Jeffery.Hobbs@FAA.gov
February 16, 2009 -- Contract for Terminal Data Distribution System has been awarded The DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center's Research and Innovative Technology Administration has awarded Contract DTRT57-08-D-30013 for the Terminal Data Distribution System. The contract was awarded to The Raytheon Company of Marlborough, Massachusetts. The contract is for assistance in the definition and development of a terminal data distribution system (TDDS) in connection with SWIM.
February 16, 2009 -- Contract for SWIM and Data Communications PMO Support has been awarded The FAA Washington Headquarters office has awarded Contract DTFAWA-09-D-00002 for Program Management Office Support to the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) and Data Communications programs. The contract was awarded to North Star Group, LLC of Baltimore, Maryland. The contract will allow the acquisition of expert advice, assistance, guidance or counseling in support of agencies' mission oriented business functions, as follows: technical, financial management, management analyst, business, configuration management, information security and subject matter expert advice and assistance to various organizations within FAA Technical Operations Service.
December 17, 2008 -- SWIM Compliance section added A SWIM Compliance section has been added to the website. This section provides information on the standards and policy categories required for applications and systems to be accessible and interoperable via SWIM services. A link to the section has been added to the left navigation bar.
November 12, 2008 -- System Wide Information Management Technical Services Single Source Bridge Contract The FAA intends to award a one-year single source contract for systems engineering support services to Flatirons Solutions Corporation. The contract will secure systems engineering services, for the SWIM Program Office of the ATC Communications Directorate, ATO-W. This award will support the SWIM Program Offices' testing, evaluation and implementation of SWIM core services. This award is being made to bridge a shortfall for these services while a competitive procurement is conducted and awarded. The target date for award of the competitive contract is late 2009 or early 2010. Flatirons Solutions Corporation was selected because it has been providing substantially similar services to the FAA SWIM Program Office under a sub-contracting arrangement and it has a proven track record of supplying this type of engineering and technical support services to ATO-W. A competitive solicitation is not available for this procurement. Refer to the FAA Contracting Opportunities Website at: http://faaco.faa.gov/posting.cfm?PostIDtemp=7297 for more information.
November 4, 2008 -- SWIM XML Gateway QVL On September 15, 2008, the FAA released requirements to qualified vendors who wish to be listed on a SWIM XML Gateway Qualified Vendors List (QVL). The QVL is to be used for future procurements of XML gateways by SWIM Implementing Programs (SIPs). Responses were due October 17, 2008. The Agency thanks everyone who took the time to respond. Responses are under review.
October 17, 2008 -- FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO) releases article highlighting SWIM-UPS partnership On October 16, 2008, the FAA ATO released an article on the SWIM partnership with UPS, the first airline to receive digital weather information from the FAA under NextGen's transformational System Wide Information Management program. Read the entire ATO News article entitled "UPS First in the Pool for a SWIM" at employees.faa.gov, or for PDF version click on the link: PDF
October 9, 2008 -- FAA has extended the response date from qualified vendors for the SWIM XML Gateway. Responses are now due October 17, 2008. The full announcement is posted on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=7163.
October 7, 2008 -- UPS has become our first industry partner to receive SWIM-compliant data via the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) Prototype Service. On October 6, UPS started receiving digital data for four ITWS weather products: Microburst TRACON Map Gust Front TRACON Map Terminal Weather Text Configured Alerts (text) The SWIM-compliant ITWS Prototype Service was developed using the IONA Fuse service container by the ITWS development team at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, MA. UPS receives the products by connecting to the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) external gateway at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. The SWIM program office wishes to thank all of the UPS, ITWS, and FTI personnel who supported this delivery of the first SWIM-compliant service.
Go To >> ARCHIVED NEWS

Recent News items will be posted to this section for 60 days. News items older then 60 days and in current fiscal year are listed under Previous News. To view news item in previous fiscal years go to the Archived News section.

Recent News

October 30, 2009 -- SWIM Releases Draft of the Final Program Requirements for Segment 2

The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program has released the initial draft of the SWIM Final Program Requirements Segment 2 document. The document defines program requirements for SWIM’s next phase, Segment 2. The document discusses the new Segment 2 program requirements as well as maintenance of legacy Segment 1 requirements, providing clear differentiation of the requirements for each segment. For more information, please access the FPR on the Documents page.

October 28, 2009 -- SWIM Meeting with TechAmerica on September 29, 2009

A bi-monthly forum has been established so that the FAA can discuss SWIM-related questions with the TechAmerica industry forum. TechAmerica and the FAA SWIM program met for the third forum on September 29, 2009. The meeting included topics such as the SWIM Core Architecture Evolution Concepts and a lessons learned discussion on business case development. The meeting minutes are located in the "Segment 2 Documents" section of the Documentation page. For more information on Tech America, please visit: www.techamerica.org

October 22, 2009 -- Segment 2 Technical Overview Released

The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Program has released the Segment 2 Technical Overview document. The document outlines Segment 2 SWIM Core Architecture Evolution Concepts including functional and technical architecture. The document discusses options for functional architecture components being considered for deployment by the SWIM Program in Segment 2. The advantages and disadvantages of these components are examined to assist future requirements and cost analysis. Component options are then grouped and presented as three overall Segment 2 architecture options, including the federated approach used for Segment 1. For more information, please access the Segment 2 Technical Overview on the Documents page.

October 22, 2009 -- FAA releases amendments to SWIM System Engineering and Business Support Services requirement

FAA has released amendments to the SWIM System Engineering and Business Support Services requirement. This is a Request for Proposals to support the SWIM Program Office. The offeror awarded this contract will provide the Office of ATC Communications (AJW-5) with the systems engineering (SE), program architecture, requirements, implementation, and business support services necessary to assist the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program.

View the amendments on the FAA Contracting Opportunities website at: https://faaco.faa.gov/posting.cfm?PostIDtemp=8802.

October 15, 2009 -- SWIM-Compliant CIWS Data Product Descriptions Now Available

The Corridor Integrated Weather System (CIWS) Product Description, Revision 1.0, is now available. CIWS allows air traffic managers to use 3D displays to safely manage flight routes during thunderstorms, significantly reducing congestion and delays. The CIWS Product Description serves as a reference with descriptions of CIWS data product files. CIWS products are now available in a SWIM-compliant format, and the CIWS data feed will allow for integration into existing displays.

For more information, please view the full product description list.

Sample CIWS data is available to prospective users at: http://webstats.wx.ll.mit.edu/data/CIWS_20090717T194500.tar.gz or http://webstats.wx.ll.mit.edu/data/CIWS_20090717T194500.zip

October 15, 2009 --Data Xtend Semantic Integrator (DXSI Tool) Evaluation Released

An evaluation of Progress Software's DataXtend Sematic Integrator (DXSI) tool is now available. Mitre conducted an evaluation of the DXSI tool, focusing on the weather domain. This evaluation resulted in detailed findings related to SWIM Core Services. For more information on DXSI's capabilities and the evaluation, please view the briefing on the Documentation page.

September 24, 2009 -- The SWIM Program publishes the SOA Suitability Checklist

The SWIM Program published the SOA Suitability Checklist on September 24th. The purpose of this document is to objectively assess programs to determine if leveraging SWIM Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) software, standards, processes, and procedures is an appropriate approach for the solution of their specific need. This document details specific criteria and a scoring mechanism to assess whether programs facing an upcoming JRC meet the criteria for becoming SWIM-compliant. For more information, please contact Jim.Robb@faa.gov. The SOA Suitability Checklist and the Suitability Checklist Job Aid are found on the Documentation page.

September 24, 2009 -- SWIM Program held the first "SWIMposium" on September 22nd

The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Program would like to thank all of the attendees of our first "SWIMposium," an informational panel on SWIM. The event was held on September 22nd and included approximately 150 participants. The SWIMposium provided an overview of SWIM and a description of the impact of SWIM on other FAA programs. For more information, please view the final briefing on the Documentation page.

September 22, 2009 -- FAA releases requirement for SWIM System Engineering and Business Support Services

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for System Engineering and Business Support. The FAA requires support that includes systems engineering (SE), program architecture, requirements, implementation, and business support services necessary to assist the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program.

It is anticipated that an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity type contract, with level of effort firm fixed-price pricing arrangements, will be awarded covering these services. The resultant contract will include a base period (March 1 - September 30, 2010) and 4 one-year options. These options may or may not be exercised at the sole discretion of the FAA.

Complete technical proposals must be received by the FAA by 2 PM Eastern Time on October 20, 2009.

View the full announcement on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at https://faaco.faa.gov/posting.cfm?PostIDtemp=8802

September 21, 2009 -- FAA seeking comments on draft XML Gateway Requirements document v2.0

The FAA is seeking industry comment on the update to our XML Gateway Requirements document v2.0. In order to be placed on FAA's Qualified Vendor’s List (QVL), vendors must meet the FAA's XML Gateway requirements (as outlined in this document) and have successfully passed a technical evaluation of their product as defined in the Qualification Information Request (QIR) that will be posted on the FAA Contracting Opportunities page, https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm during November 2009. The draft document and comment form is found on the Documentation Page.

Comments are due by COB October 21, 2009. Submit your completed comment forms to Jim.Robb@faa.gov

September 17, 2009 -- Department of Defense (DoD) receives SWIM-compliant ITWS data

The Department of Defense (DoD) has become our first agency partner to receive SWIM-compliant data via the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) Prototype Service. On September 17th, the DoD's Global Information Grid (GIG) at Hanscom Air Force Base started receiving digital data for ITWS weather products. The SWIM-compliant ITWS Prototype Service was developed by the ITWS development team at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, MA, using open-source software provided by Progress Software. DoD receives the products by connecting to the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) external gateway at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ.

The SWIM program office wishes to thank all of the DoD, ITWS, and FTI personnel who supported the delivery of this SWIM-compliant service.

September 16, 2009 -- Enterprise Service Bus Prototype Overview

On July 30, 2009 the SWIM Program Office announced the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Protoytpe effort. As part of the planning for SWIM Segment 2, SWIM is establishing an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Prototype at SWIM lab facilities in the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. A Segment 2 prototype overview briefing can be found on the Documentation page. The briefing includes some considerations and ideas for prototyping, but final prototyping decisions will be subject to cost and schedule constraints. More information will be made available as activities progress.

September 15, 2009 -- SWIM publishes the 2nd edition of our newsletter

The SWIM program published the 2nd edition of our newsletter, The Current. The articles featured include an overview by the SWIM Program Manager, SWIM governance policies, information on the SWIMposium, accomplishments, and much more. The newsletter is found on the Documentation page.

Previous News

August 25, 2009 -- SWIM Meeting with TechAmerica on June 23, 2009

A bi-monthly forum has been established so that the FAA can discuss SWIM-related questions with the TechAmerica industry forum. The meeting minutes are in the "Segment 2 Documents" section of the Documentation page. For more information on Tech America, please visit: www.techamerica.org

August 15, 2009 -- SWIM Program announces 1st "SWIMposium" for September 22nd

The System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Program would like to invite all interested FAA staff to its first "SWIMposium," an informational panel on SWIM. The event will take place on September 22nd from 1 - 2:30pm in FOB 10A 3rd Floor Auditorium. The SWIMposium is designed to provide an overview of SWIM, describe what it means for your program, highlight next steps, and allow an opportunity to answer your questions about SWIM. For more information and a detailed agenda, please view the full description: Presentation.

August 5, 2009 -- Follow-up Market Analysis - Technical Support Services For FAA Technical Operations Directorate (ATO-W)

The purpose of this additional market analysis is to obtain the information necessary to determine whether adequate competition exists to set-aside the competition among small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, or 8(a) certified firms.

View the full announcement on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=6256.

July 30, 2009 -- SWIM Program Office announces Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Protoytpe effort

As part of the planning for SWIM Segment 2, SWIM is establishing an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Prototype at SWIM lab facilities in the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. More information will be made available as activities progress. A prototype overview briefing can be found on the Documentation page.

July 30, 2009 -- The SWIM Program Office announces availability of Progress Software Products for the FAA community

Through Progress Software Products, the SWIM Program Office announces the availability of FUSE, including four open source Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) components, for the FAA community. Available components include: FUSE Enterprise Service Bus (ESB), FUSE Message Broker, FUSE Services Framework and FUSE Mediation Router. The four components are combined with development and management tools to create a comprehensive enterprise integration infrastructure and are deployed in many large, mission-critical IT applications. Progress Software Products is a global provider of application infrastructure software used to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications.

The SWIM program office is pleased to announce the availability of these new products. For more information, please view the full product description list: Fuse Product List.

July 27, 2009 -- Service Registry/Repository Software Screening Information Request

On July 1, 2009, the FAA released a Request for Offer (RFO)/Screening Information Request (SIR) for a requirement for Service Registry/Repository Software to the Contract Opportunities website. The Agency thanks everyone who took the time to respond. Proposals are under review. The RFO/SIR documents are found on on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=8418 page.

July 23, 2009 -- FAA's Joint Resources Council approves SWIM Segment 1 funds for FY2011-FY2015

The FAA's Joint Resources Council (JRC) approved the SWIM Program Office's request for program funding for FY2011-FY2015, to complete the development and deployment of SWIM Segment 1 capabilities. The JRC decision was made on July 15, 2009. The SWIM Briefing to the JRC is found on the Documentation page.

July 17, 2009 -- FAA seeks participants for feedback on the CIWS products

The SWIM program is seeking users who will provide feedback on Corridor Integrated Weather Service (CIWS) product distribution methods and the XML-based digital data products being distributed, and who are interested in integrating these products into existing automation systems. The feedback and lessons learned generated from these efforts will be very valuable to future SWIM development.

The FAA SWIM Program Office will make the final selection of participants. Your application to participate must be submitted to the SWIM Program Office, via e-mail to 9-ATOW-HQ-SWIM@faa.gov, no later than August 14, 2009

For more information, please view the application and description.

July 17, 2009 -- MITRE SWIM Core Architecture Evolution Concepts (v1.0) released

MITRE published the Core Architecture Evolution Concepts Document for the SWIM program on July 17th. The purpose of this document is to develop SWIM Core architecture evolution concepts that will form the basis for the development of SWIM Segment 2 core architecture. This document outlines an analysis of options for components that may be deployed and interconnected by the SWIM Program in Segment 2.

The Core Architecture Evolution Concepts document is found on the Documentation page.

July 17, 2009 -- New Products available via the ITWS-SWIM Prototype Service

The SWIM Program Office would like to announce the new products available via the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS)-SWIM Prototype Service. On July 22, 2009, users will now have access to the following ITWS weather products:

Airport Lightning Warning: Contains airport lightning warning data for specific areas of interest called critical regions
Tornado Detections Product: Provides the location, speed, and direction of all tornadoes as extracted from the Next Generation Radar Tornadic Vortex Signature (NEXRAD TVS) product
Tornado Alert Product: Contains the alphanumeric text for the tornado alerts
Precipitation 5 nm Product: Contains the 5 nm resolution precipitation
Precipitation Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) Product: Contains the ITWS TRACON area precipitation
Precipitation Long Range Product: contains the Long Range Precipitation which is derived from one or more NEXRAD and Terminal Doppler Weather Radars (TDWR)

These products will be added to the existing list of available products, including Microburst TRACON Map, Gust Front TRACON Map, Terminal Weather Text, and Configured Alerts.

ITWS improves NAS efficiency by displaying the impact of convective weather, storm cells, precipitation, airport winds, microbursts, gust fronts, windshear, lightning, and tornadic activity at selected NAS pacing airports. The ITWS-SWIM Prototype Service will improve on this by providing ITWS products digitally that support the overlay of ITWS products onto user workstations for greater common situational awareness. Engineering these data services using SWIM standards will also reduce integration costs while enabling wider access to weather products.

The SWIM program office is pleased to announce the availability of these new products. For more information, please view the full description of these products.

July 1, 2009 -- FAA releases requirement for SWIM Service Registry/Repository Software

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for Service Registry/Repository Software. In addition to the software product, the FAA requires the following services:

Product Maintenance
Product Documentation
Technical Support
Training
Consulting Support

It is anticipated that an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity type contract, with fixed-price pricing arrangements, will be awarded covering these services. The resultant contract will include a one-year base period and 12 one-year options. These options may or may not be exercised at the sole discretion of the FAA.

Complete technical proposals must be received by the FAA no later than 12:00 noon EDT, Friday, July 24, 2009.

View the full announcement on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=8418.

June 24, 2009 -- SWIM briefs at 2009 NAS Enterprise Architecture Conference

The FAA hosted the 2009 National Airspace System (NAS) Enterprise Architecture (EA) Conference in Washington, DC. The conference brought together FAA executives, program managers, architects, planners, and systems engineering personnel, along with international and industry stakeholders, to discuss the importance of the NAS EA to the FAA in securing the capital needed to implement and field capability upgrades to the NAS, including NextGen.

Jim Robb, SWIM Requirements and Governence Lead, briefed on NAS Enterprise Level Architecture Products - To Be SV-4: Reference Architecture and SOA Governance.

Presentation: SV-4: Reference Architecture and SOA Governance presented June 2009 at the NAS EA Conference.

May 14, 2009 -- SWIM briefs at 2009 ICNS Conference

The 2009 Integrated Communications Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference, jointly sponsored by government, civil and military, and industry, addresses research and development of integrated CNS technologies for advanced aeronautical digital information systems and applications supporting the future global air transportation systems. The 2009 conference theme was "The Integrated Trajectory - Getting There."

Jeffery Hobbs, SWIM Implementation Lead, co-chaired the session on the Information Sharing Environment (SWIM) and briefed on SWIM Status.

Presentation: SWIM Status presented May 2009 at the Integrated Communciations Navigation and Surveillance (ICNS) Conference.

May 12-14, 2009 -- AIXM/WXXM Conference

The FAA hosted the 4th Annual Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM) Users Conference in Crystal City, Virginia. This year's conference was the first joint AIXM/Weather Information Exchange Model (WXXM) Conference with an intended audience of AIXM/WXXM developers and aeronautical/meteorological information experts. The general topic of the conference was AIXM and WXXM Data Transfer – Graphical Visualization and Common Situational Awareness.

Jeffery Hobbs, SWIM Implementation Lead, briefed on web services implemented during System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Segment 1.

Presentation: Web Services Implemented During System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Segment 1 presented May 2009 for Aeronautical Information Exchange Model (AIXM)/Weather Information Exchange Model (WXXM) Conference.

April 3, 2009 -- SWIM Meeting with TechAmerica on March 4, 2009

A bi-monthly forum has been established so that the FAA can discuss SWIM-related questions with the TechAmerica industry forum. The briefing and meeting minutes are in the "Segment 2 Documents" section of the Documentation page.

March 11, 2009 -- FAA seeking comments on draft Service Registry Requirements document v1.3

The FAA is seeking industry comment on the draft Service Registry Requirements document v1.3. The SWIM Service Registry Requirements document establishes requirements guiding the acquisition of a SWIM Service Registry product to be used by the FAA. The draft document and comment form is found on the Documentation Page.

Comments are due by COB March 24, 2009. Submit your completed comment forms to Jeffery.Hobbs@FAA.gov

March 5, 2009 -- Service Registry/Repository software to support SWIM Segment 1

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a requirement for commercially available Service Registry/Repository software to support Segment 1 of the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) program. The period of performance is estimated to begin on/or about January 1, 2010, with multiple three-year option periods for continued product support.

The contractor shall supply the FAA with Service Registry/Repository software that is commercially available or available in the public domain that meets requirements for the SWIM Segment 1 Service Registry/Repository. This software will offer a central repository to help users discover, use and, whenever possible, reuse Web services. This acquisition is restricted to commercially available software (to include software in the public domain).

All companies submitting a bid must be registered and active in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Data Base or must be before award.

The Screening Information Request (SIR)/Solicitation will be available by the end of April 2009.

Offers will be evaluated in accordance with the SIR. Evaluation Criteria include ability to meet SWIM technical requirements, Past Performance, Financial Capability, and compatibility of products with standards to be identified in the SIR. The Government will make one award to the responsible Offeror whose submittal conforms to the requirements and terms and conditions, and is considered to be the best value to the FAA.

This contract opportunity record has been posted on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at: http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=7569.

March 3, 2009 -- Draft SWIM Segment 2 Operation Services and Environment Definition (OSED) v1 released

The Operation Services and Environment Definition (OSED) provides the basis for the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) Segment 2 architecture and strategic direction. It is being used as an artifact to provide segment specific information about NextGen, the NAS and the SWIM program which will help to define SWIM requirements and technical architecture to support the SWIM Segment 2 Final Investment Decision.

March 3, 2009 -- The FAA is pleased to announce our Qualified Vendors List (QVL) for the XML Gateway Product

The vendors on this list have met the FAA's XML Gateway requirements and have successfully passed a technical evaluation of their product's installation and initial configuration, as well as system performance. Their products were deemed capable of providing support to the SWIM Implementing Programs (SIPs).

The vendors on this list include Layer 7 Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Vordel, Inc. Interested parties can view entire qualified vendors list.

This QVL will be established for a period of six (6) years, from March 1, 2009 through March 31, 2015. Re-establishment of this QVL will be a unilateral decision of the FAA and will be reviewed annually.

This QVL shall not be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract and is not intended to guarantee procurement of the XML Gateway.

Technical questions regarding this QVL may be directed to Jeffery L. Hobbs, SWIM Implementation Lead, at (202) 267-9772 or Jeffery.Hobbs@FAA.gov

February 16, 2009 -- Contract for Terminal Data Distribution System has been awarded

The DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center's Research and Innovative Technology Administration has awarded Contract DTRT57-08-D-30013 for the Terminal Data Distribution System. The contract was awarded to The Raytheon Company of Marlborough, Massachusetts.

The contract is for assistance in the definition and development of a terminal data distribution system (TDDS) in connection with SWIM.

February 16, 2009 -- Contract for SWIM and Data Communications PMO Support has been awarded

The FAA Washington Headquarters office has awarded Contract DTFAWA-09-D-00002 for Program Management Office Support to the System Wide Information Management (SWIM) and Data Communications programs. The contract was awarded to North Star Group, LLC of Baltimore, Maryland.

The contract will allow the acquisition of expert advice, assistance, guidance or counseling in support of agencies' mission oriented business functions, as follows: technical, financial management, management analyst, business, configuration management, information security and subject matter expert advice and assistance to various organizations within FAA Technical Operations Service.

December 17, 2008 -- SWIM Compliance section added

A SWIM Compliance section has been added to the website. This section provides information on the standards and policy categories required for applications and systems to be accessible and interoperable via SWIM services.

A link to the section has been added to the left navigation bar.

November 12, 2008 -- System Wide Information Management Technical Services Single Source Bridge Contract

The FAA intends to award a one-year single source contract for systems engineering support services to Flatirons Solutions Corporation. The contract will secure systems engineering services, for the SWIM Program Office of the ATC Communications Directorate, ATO-W. This award will support the SWIM Program Offices' testing, evaluation and implementation of SWIM core services.

This award is being made to bridge a shortfall for these services while a competitive procurement is conducted and awarded. The target date for award of the competitive contract is late 2009 or early 2010.

Flatirons Solutions Corporation was selected because it has been providing substantially similar services to the FAA SWIM Program Office under a sub-contracting arrangement and it has a proven track record of supplying this type of engineering and technical support services to ATO-W.

A competitive solicitation is not available for this procurement. Refer to the FAA Contracting Opportunities Website at: http://faaco.faa.gov/posting.cfm?PostIDtemp=7297 for more information.

November 4, 2008 -- SWIM XML Gateway QVL

On September 15, 2008, the FAA released requirements to qualified vendors who wish to be listed on a SWIM XML Gateway Qualified Vendors List (QVL). The QVL is to be used for future procurements of XML gateways by SWIM Implementing Programs (SIPs). Responses were due October 17, 2008. The Agency thanks everyone who took the time to respond. Responses are under review.

October 17, 2008 -- FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO) releases article highlighting SWIM-UPS partnership

On October 16, 2008, the FAA ATO released an article on the SWIM partnership with UPS, the first airline to receive digital weather information from the FAA under NextGen's transformational System Wide Information Management program.

Read the entire ATO News article entitled "UPS First in the Pool for a SWIM" at employees.faa.gov, or for PDF version click on the link: PDF

October 9, 2008 -- FAA has extended the response date from qualified vendors for the SWIM XML Gateway. Responses are now due October 17, 2008.

The full announcement is posted on the FAA Contract Opportunities website at http://faaco.faa.gov/?ref=7163.

October 7, 2008 -- UPS has become our first industry partner to receive SWIM-compliant data via the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) Prototype Service. On October 6, UPS started receiving digital data for four ITWS weather products:

Microburst TRACON Map
Gust Front TRACON Map
Terminal Weather Text
Configured Alerts (text)

The SWIM-compliant ITWS Prototype Service was developed using the IONA Fuse service container by the ITWS development team at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, MA. UPS receives the products by connecting to the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) external gateway at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ.

The SWIM program office wishes to thank all of the UPS, ITWS, and FTI personnel who supported this delivery of the first SWIM-compliant service.

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